Yoga vs spinning!

I do two types of exercises, yes only two! I practice yoga on alternate days with spinning classes. No, no I am not here to talk about how much I exercise or how good I am in keeping a routine and no, this thread need not be in diet and exercise forum! I am just in a mood to draw some parallels.

Yoga - is all quietness, calmness, preferably done in a darker room, preferably with light music, preferably done early in the mornings. One is asked to do only how much ever one's body lets, no goal, just enjoy the moment and feel centered, calm and composed!

Spinning - is indoor cycling, done on imaginary hills with various resistance settings, done with a group of people with various goals, with an instructor, with very loud fast paced music, in a well lit room, push push push till you cannot almost not breathe and thankfully for me, is offered early in the morning in my local gym.

In a natural state, I am a yoga kind of person. Prefer quietness - in music, exercise, home or otherwise. Love to think of those moments I get into - the Gaps, as moments of meditation and enjoy thoroughly practising yoga. On the other hand, spinning goes against every fiber of my being. I get a bad headache 25 mins into the class, but push I have to and follow the pack - now if spinning is something I do not enjoy, what am I doing there? Doctors orders, yes she wants me to get more cardio work out for many logical and reasonable reasons - I will not go deeper into that.

But here is where I start drawing the parallels - in life we are thrown in to many situations and relationships whether we like them or not. Just like in spinning class as other people are working harder challenging me to do more and more, people and situations in our lives may challenge us to do more and more. What do we do? Just do our best, sometimes beyond best, adapt and hope for the best. Will the results always be what we want? May be, maynot be! But guess what? All that work out will change you, sharpen you and make you more fit to take on more challenges. It will also as I have learnt, get you get in touch with your inner true self.

Personally I am able to continue with spinning classes because I am able to adapt my yoga techniques there by bringing in what I like, from yoga. When I spin, to the amazement of my co-spinners, I keep my eyes closed and it helps me enormously here! And you know what is surprising, inspite of the headache I do develop (which disappears once the class ends), I have begun to enjoy spinning because that intense workout does take me to the moments of Gap that I crave so much - my mind cannot wander with that kind of focus!

Similarly, all those testing moments and people in life become bearable when we bring in what we enjoy the most in to any situation in life and learn to deal with it. We just have to be conscious and aware! The benefit is always ours, trust me.

Now all this spinning, is it helping me with my yoga? You bet! There now is more and more an intense need in me to do what I love more (yoga) so that I can handle what I don't enjoy as much (spinning) in a better way. All those aches and pains are soothed only with the stretching that I can get through yoga - I almost dread not yoga now.

We may and we will run in to many situations and people in our lives that go against what we know of ourselves as. But if we go in with what we have and know and do our best, we will eventually come out stronger and better! The situations and people we run into should also/will also help us get in touch with our true inner selves, help us nurture our nature - it should only make us stronger.

After all, deep inside we are all well meaning, good people.

All this thinking and mulling makes me believe more in what Richard Bach says "There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts."

Now if you are already a spinner, good for you! Just try being a yogi

 

Thank you spiderman for your first feedback and wonderful words! No, I donot have another blog space - whatever thoughts I am happy to share here. Analysis or over analysis I am sure intrpspective people most often though know where to draw the line (ie.,as soon as they find an answer) - so you are OK and even if you had called me 'overly analytical person', I wouldn't take offense because of what I have said in the previous sentence I am happy to find company :cheers

 

thank you upavi!

now that is a compliment right? Thank you!

you have hit the nail on the head here - that is what I think I constantly try.....living life.

thanks for your very wonderful words upavi!

 

Hmmm....Kamala if only 'ellaara mane dose thoothu' would give me the consolation and answers I seek, it would be so much more easier! my problem is so what would I do with it....can I not simply accept it? Like spiderman, another intrpsoective buddy though says, all that introspection...huh...will it ever stop!!

no, no why would you?.....life is simpler that way actually...but here we are trying to loose either that 'baby fat' or have a high with all those endorphins. If you have it, what else do you need? I was just being contemplative Thanks for stopping by and for your feedback Kamala!

 

Thank you Srini, you summarised it real well. Every incident/non incident in our lives are always trying to tell us something...if we are in tune, there is no way we cannot benefit from it!